Petrolatum is a colorless or pale yellow semi-solid material comprising a mixture of hydrocarbons and which is often used in cosmetic and personal care products (e.g., cleansing products, skin-care products, make-up, shampoos and conditioners, shaving products, suntan products). For example, it can function as hair conditioning agent, skin protectant, occlusive skin-conditioning agent, etc.
It is extremely difficult to find alternative products which are similar to and/or function equivalently to petrolatum. Unexpectedly, applicants have now found materials (structured, pre-blended mixtures) and methods (i.e., formation of said pre-mixtures) to approach or match some of the properties (e.g., occlusivity) of petrolatum while retaining rheological characteristics. The present invention is directed to pre-blends in which the liquid materials (used as base of the pre-blend), as well as the structuring agents, are naturally sourced materials (non-petroleum sourced materials). In a related co-pending application, applicants claim pre-blends in which the base liquids and/or the structuring agents used may be more broadly petroleum or non-petroleum derived materials.
As noted, applicants have unexpectedly now found that a pre-blend of specific non-petroleum based liquid materials (e.g., squalane, squalene, natural rubber) of defined viscosity and defined melting or phase transition point, together with non-petroleum based structuring materials of defined melting point, can be used instead of petrolatum. (e.g., petrolatum jelly or “PJ”); and will approach or match the occlusivity of PJ, while also providing spreadability required to achieve the film forming and sensory profile desired by consumers. As “natural” materials, they may also have greater appeal to some consumers.
Various references disclose compositions where waxes, for example, are disclosed and/or polymers/oligomers are disclosed; but no reference of which applicants are aware discloses a pre-blend where specific materials (i.e., specifically selected to have melting or phase transition point below 30° C.; and a viscosity of 500 Pa·s of below at room temperature) are pre-blended with specific high melting point materials, either for use as separate component (stand-alone blends for use as ingredients) or, optionally, before combining with other compositional ingredients during preparation of personal care compositions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,869,070 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,680, both to Dixon et al., disclose dual cleanser moisturizer compositions which may comprise mixtures of petrolatum with the types of oil used in our invention (e.g., polybutene) at defined ratios of petrolatum to the hydrocarbon oils (col. 7, lines 5-12); and/or where wax alone is disclosed (e.g., col. 6, line 60), but nowhere is there disclosed mixture (particularly where pre-blended) of wax or other high melting point ingredients and liquid materials to form the structured pre-blended mixtures of our invention.
WO 99/09950 to Elliott et al. (P&G) discloses the use of certain branched polymers, as well as, broadly, possible use of waxes. However, nowhere is there recognized specifically preparing a pre-blend to obtain the materials disclosed in our invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,521,573 to Tsaur et al. also discloses generally the use of hydrocarbon polymers and hydrophobic oils. There is no mention of wax and certainly no suggestion of pre-blending specifically selected liquid materials (having viscosity of 500 Pa·s or below and melting or glass transition point of <30° C.); and high melting point structuring materials to produce the pre-blends of our invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,776,346 to O'Connor et al. discloses oils which may be structured with certain crystalline materials. There is no disclosure of the specific materials of our invention pre-blended with high melting point materials to unexpectedly obtain pre-blends which approach or match occlusivity, while retaining rheological characteristics (spreadability, feel) of petrolatum.
In short, applicants are aware of no references which teach or suggest the unique naturally sourced liquid materials and naturally sourced structuring materials of our invention pre-blended to form the mixtures of our invention, i.e., mixtures which provide the unexpected advantage of approaching or matching occlusivity, while retaining rheological characteristics (spreadability) of petrolatum. Petrolatum is a very unique material and obtaining functional equivalents is not a readily achievable goal.